As he looked at the head of the snake he noticed it had a burn mark between it's eyes on the top of it's head.

'That's all the spell di...'

He couldn't even finish the thought the snake swallowed him from his head to his waist and started to get him down, but then it stopped and a woman's voice was heared from the outside of it. Her voice wasn't familiar to Joseph.

"Hey! Haven't I said to not swallow just anything you found? Who knows where was it before!"

The snake babbled something inaudible.

"Throw it up and then speak! I can't understand you!"

The snake throw up and constricted him again. Then started to squeeze him stronger and stronger. He couldn't see the woman, because she was behind him.

"But milady! Thissss human attacked me!"

"Now did he? That is very interesting!"

She laughed.

"I've never imagined a human would be so stupid to attack a great snake! Also did he leave that scorch mark on your head?"

The snake licked it's wound.

"Yesss! That isss why he hasss to die!"

It squeezed him even harder. Joseph shouted from the pain.

"Now now! Don't be hasty!"

The snakes head got healed up in an instant.

"Is it better my dear?"

The snake licked it's head again and looked happy.

"Yesss milady! Thank you for your kindnesss!"

It bowed to her.

"Now release him. I want to ask him questions. I'm really curious why and how did he managed to hurt you. Even though I gave you this much magical resistance. Maybe I should give you more potions to be even stronger!"

The snake started to shake, moving Joseph with itself.

"No milady! I don't think it isss necesssery!"

The woman laughed again.

"Now then give me him. I'll give you some of your favorite food later."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The snake stopped shaking and released him.

'It seems like I'm safe for now. Though this woman looks just as crazy as...'

He couldn't finish the thought because he floated up in the sky and turned around. Then he saw who, or more like what was the "lady". It was a hag. A deformed old witch, also a human. It was floating in the sky.

'A human huh... Seems like there are humans in this world as well... Why am I so calm? A hag is not good news. It might just torture me and kill me later on.'

She started to fly in a direction and Joseph followed him floating behind.

"A human with such low magical energy. Yet you damaged my servant. You supprised me. This is the first time that something supprised me in a hundred years!"

She laughed again.

"You'll be a good research subject."

"Excuse me!"

"Huh... So yo can talk. What is it kid?"

"I can explain myself. Also if I teach you how I did it, would you let me go?"

The hag seemed to think for a moment.

"I will consider!"

When Joseph tried to talk again no sound came out of his mouth.

'Silence? She seems strong. But she still can't read my thoughts. Maybe it's not a well known spell?'

In the distance he spotted a wooden hut. It was small, maybe it had enough place for a bed and a table, but no more.They reached the place in a few minutes. Then entered.

From the inside it was a lot bigger than it seemed from the outside. There was a cauldron in the middle of the place, cabinets filled with potions, ingredients and little creatures everywhere he looked. There was also a bed and a cage in the room. The cage was big enough for a human, but the grid was too sparse on it, he could easily step out of it.

'Who would make a cage like that?'

Then he noticed small engravings on the grid. As he used his magic sensed he felt great power eminating from it.

'Of course it is enchanted... It might kill me if I would try to leave it...'

The hag sit on a chair and floated him in the cage and dropped him on the ground.

"Now we can talk all I want. But I advice you that you won't try to escape, or you will die."

Joseph stood up and looked at her questioningly and felt the spells on him released.

"You think I would be that stupid?"

She shrugged.

"I mean. You attacked a great serpent in my swamp. Everyone knows that it is my place and every creatures in it are mine. There was noone that even tried in the las hundred years."

Joseph bowed to her.

"I'm sorry for my negligence, but I'm not around from these parts. My name is Joseph and I'm a travelling wizard. In an accident I got teleported in this swamp."

The hag took out a pipe and started smoking.

"That makes some sense. Then where did you come from?"

He didn't know if he should be truthfull or not.

"I don't know exactly. I only know that it was a forest lead by a spirit or what."

She puffed out a circle of smoke.

"A forest spirit's place? Interesting. Spirits are rare nowadays."

She walked to a cabinet and pulled out a drawer. Got a rolled up paper from it and unrolled it. It was a map. There was a big continent on it. It looked as wide as europe and it's lenght was about the two american continent together.

"We are here."

She pointed on the midle left part of the top of the map. The name of the place was Aliandra's swamp.

"So where did you come from?"

"A second. I've never seen the world map, but with the unique look of the place might be easy to find."

He looked at the top and scaned through it. Than went to the midle and finally to the bottom. On the bottom there was a mountain range, which was called the mysterious mountains. It looked just like he would've imagined the place.

"I think it was the mysterious mountains."

She looked at the map and searched it out.

"Interesting. That place is under a very powerfull spell which stops everyone from entering."

Now it was Joseph who laughed.

"You can say that now, that it was under a spell..."

He started to talk about the dragon's attack.